Jar-clamp



(No Model.) 7

- W. L. IMLAY.

JARcLAMP f No. 345,142. Patented July.6,' 1886.

INyENTEIFI fl ;,g%g,

\VILLIAM L. IMLAY, OF CAMDEN, NEWV JERSEY.

JAR-CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 345,142, dated July 6,1886.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM L. IMLAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Clamps for Fruit-Jars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention has reference to clamps for fruit-jar tops, and has for its object to provide a simple, comparatively inexpensive and efficientspring-clamp, which can be constructed at slight expense and readily applied to and operated upon a fruit-jar.

My improvements consist in the peculiar construction and continuation of parts hereinafter fully described.

The clamp which constitutes the essential feature of my invention consists of a wire, which is bent or curved to form a. semicircle or segment adapted and designed to partially embrace the neck of a fruit-jar,- said wire havingits two ends bent upwardly, one end forming an eye for a lever hinged thereto, the other end being turned over to form a hook for fastening the end of said lever. Said clamp is secured to the neck of the jar by means of a tic-wire, both the clamp and tiewire fitting in a groove in the neck of the jar. The lever is in the form of a rod hinged at one end to the eye end of the clamp, its other end passing beneath the hook ot' the clamp, said lever crossing the cover of the jar and clamp ing it in place by spring action and pressure.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the jar and fastener, and Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views, A represents a l'ruitjar, whichmay be of any desired or suitable construction and material. Said jar has an annular groove, a, near its upper edge, and it is provided with a top, B, which fits on the upper edge of the jar or upon the gasket fitted on a shoulder at or near said upper edge.

0 represents a wire,which is in the form of a half-ring or segment, one of its ends being bent Vertically, as shown, and then horizontally, forming a hook, D, the other end being also bent so as to stand vertically, and turned around to form an eye, E. Said half-ring or segment fits in the groove a of the jar, and is held therein by a tie-wire or equivalent cord or fastening, F.

G represents a lever, which is a spring-wire rod, having an eye, 9, at one end,which forms a hinge connection or joint with the eye E. Said lever crosses the top B of the fruit-jar and passes beneath the hook D, the height of the lid being such as that to bring the lever G into engagement with the hook some pressure has to be applied to the lever, bending or springing it downwardly. If desired, the top Bmay have a diametrieal groove, Z), in which the lever fits when in engagement with the hook. This will permit thetie-wire to be dispensed with, as, when the lever is entered to the groove in the top, the clamp is held in place on thejar and cannot come off until the lever is moved out of engagement with the hook, as the top has a flange which enters the neck of thejar and keeps said top from moving laterally on thejar.

The construction described -permits the clamp to be made at comparatively slight expense. \Vhen applied to thejar, it may be readilymanipulated to camp the top of the latter iirmly in position, and may be quite easily uuloosened to allow said top to be lifted.

IVhat I claim as my invention is 1. The clamp herein described, comprising a half-ring or segment, 0, having a hook at one end and an eye at the other, with a lever, G, hingedto said eye and adapted for engagement with said hook, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a fruit-jar, A, and a half-ring or segment, 0, having a lever, G, hinged at one end, and a hook, D, at the other end, of a tie-wire, F, substantially as shown and described. v

3. The combination, with a fruit-jar, A, having top B, with diametrical groove 1), of the clamp comprising the half-ring or segment 0, having a hook and eye at either end,

and lever G, substantially as shown and described.

' In testimony that I claimthe foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of May, 1886.

WILLIAM L. IMLAY.

Witnesses:

M. D. OoNNoLLY, WILL H. POWELL. 

